Yesterday was definitely the longest day since I started my journey (well, I know, it’s been only three days so far!). It started with apple pancakes prepared by Ala. Do you know how apple pancakes smell like? Awesome! Ala also cooked for me the stewed fruit. Becasue Ala, besides being mu cousing (not seen by at least 15 years), feminist and a person that belives that dreams are to make them true, is a classical Polish mother as well, who will feed you to death with all she has and all you like and will take such a good care of you that you simply won’t like to leave her place. Luckily she left first, which made my departure a bit easier.

Ala (my cousin) and me

My first stop was a school Tomek, which Ala is a director of. She asked me to meet her pupils and I did it with pleasure, becasue I really wanted to see the place she had created and she had told me so much about and also meet her pupils, whom she is so proud of. And you know what? I’ve never met so open-minded and interested kids. They were really asking maaany questions, very good questions. But I must admit that the best question I’ve been asked was: “Are you not sad when cycling alone?”. Becasue I keep talking all the time that I’m afraid of being lonely, Marta asked me some time ago how I’m going to survive so many hours without cycling and I think now that esentially all we talk about (but are afraid to say it straight), is whether I’ll not be sad. And this girl asked me that question just like that. And when I thought about it, whether I am or not sad, I felt immediatelly that so much is going on that I even don’t have time to think about being sad (so far). Ala, thank you so much for inviting me! ❤

A meeting with the pupils of the school Tomek in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

A meeting with the pupils of the school Tomek in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

A meeting with the pupils of the school Tomek in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

A meeting with the pupils of the school Tomek in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

A meeting with the pupils of the school Tomek in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

A meeting with the pupils of the school Tomek in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

A meeting with the pupils of the school Tomek in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

A meeting with the pupils of the school Tomek in Tomaszów Mazowiecki

A friend of mine from the Congress of Women also came to meet me in the school. Agnieszka is a local journalist and politician and I always keep my fingers crossed for her. This time as well. It was good to see her again!

With Agnieszka – a friend from the Congress of Women that lives in Tomaszów as well

Eventually, high noon I departured. Fully loaded! With hummus, buns, stewed fruit, rice with vegetables.. Everything! (Remember that sentence about Ala as a Polish mother? Right..)

The wethear was amazing, 30 degrees all the time! Ok, it was also pretty windy, but the temperature was definitely the one I like the most. And you know, when you cycle the road, you see how much the landscape is changing. First section (from Warsaw to Grójec) it was mainly villages, one after another. The second day was dominated by orchards in the first half of the day and later forests (near Tomaszów Mazowiecki). Yestedray eventually were fields. Boundless spaces around, kilometres long. Space and emptiness. And tiny villages from time to time. I know it’s not an amazing discovery or so, but I feel good with dicovering Poland I didn’t know about every day.

Space and emptiness all around

Space and emptiness all around

Tiny villages from time to time

Sheafs in the sunset light

Space and emptiness all around

Sunset on my way

Today’s route

Yesterday also happened Piotr, whom I sent an desperate message from Gorzkowice, asking if by any chance he was not fancy to cycle my direction.. I had such a crisis in Gorzkowice. It was just after I cycled 70 K, everything hurt and I knew that there are still many kilometres to go. And I thought: knowing that someone is cycling towards my direction, it will be much easier for me. And you know what? Piotr wrote that obviously, not a problem! He took a bike and started cycling towards me. So I also took my bike and started cycling towards him (ok, I forgot to mention that before that happened there was one roughly sixty years old bachelor who invited me for a date in Piotrków Trybunalski the next day. But I chose to keep cycling, sigh…). We eventually met with Piotr in Dmenin, after cycling 20 K each of us. And we exchanged bikes. It was so so so helpful! So the last 20 K I cycled on Piotr’s bike and he cycled on Peggy. I would have never belived that I am able to cycle 109,5 K one day. But I did. And everything hurt: my legs, my ass, my hands especially (but there is this patent I invented – and I cycle with dishcloth inside my bike glove!).

109.5 K at the end of the day

And I think that all is good. And I could not imagine all of that any better!

Hi Kasia! Thanks for coming our way…we had so much fun with you. Thanks for giving our kids permission to follow their dreams. We’ll be with you as you head south. And really, you don’t look like a mushroom with your helmet on 🙂

John, it was my pleasure and you have awesome kids! They asked wonderful questions and been so open – it was an amazing experience for me! Well, I guess I have to give my helmet a name, then it will become a bit closer to my heart 😉